visakhapatnam l thursday l november 21, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION U.S. to let Ukraine use landmines against advancing Russian forces President Joe Biden will allow Ukraine to use US-supplied anti-personnel landmines to help it slow down Russia’s battlefield progress They pose less risk to civilians: Austin US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US will supply non-persistent landmines that become unable to detonate over time. “We can control when they would self-activate... and that makes them far more safer eventually,” he said. Anti-personnel land mines have long been criticised because they present a lingering threat to civilians ■ 1.74L sq km U.S. embassy shut amid Russian attack fear ■ The latest policy shift comes days after Biden allowed Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike inside Russia The US Embassy in Kyiv shut its doors on Wednesday after receiving a warning of a significant Russian attack on the city in response to Biden’s decision on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles | p9 of Ukrainian land is infested with landmines as per an estimate CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Exit polls forecast close fight in Jharkhand with narrow edge for BJP No exit poll sees MVA win in Maharashtra Pollsters predict Maha advantage to ruling alliance PR E E THA N AIR @ New Delhi As the high stakes Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand came to a close on Wednesday, several pollsters gave the BJP-led alliance a clear edge in Maharashtra and a close fight in Jharkhand. An aggregate of exit polls projected that the ruling NDA may retain power in Maharashtra while four of the eight pollsters projected an NDA win in Jharkhand. Counting of votes will take place on November 23 Saturday for the single-phase Maharashtra election held on Wednesday and the two-phase voting in Jharkhand held on November 13 and 20. While the Matrize exit poll gave 150-170 seats for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra with a 48% vote share, it gave the MVA allies only 110-130 seats with a vote share of 42%. The pollster gave others 8 to 10 seats, with a vote share of 10%. In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP is contesting in 149 seats, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena 81 and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress party 59. To retain power, the Mahayuti will need 145 seats to reach the majority mark. The First full draft on climate finance today S V Krishna Chaitanya EXPRESS IN BAKU W ith the clock ticking at COP29 in Azerbaijan, negotiators remain locked in intense discussions over the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, struggling to resolve disputes over the scale and structure of support needed to aid vulnerable nations in their fight against climate change. Developing countries are demanding $1.3 trillion annually to address loss and damage, adapt to climate impacts, and transition to clean energy systems. However, developed nations have so far offered proposals falling significantly short of this figure. The host presidency has promised to release the first full draft text on Thursday morning, but immediately clarified that it was not the final text but aiming to provide a starting point for resolution. Lead negotiator Yelchin Rafiyev expressed cautious optimism, describing the draft as a “clear step forward,” though substantial decisions remain unresolved. “There are still issues where all parties need to keep working to find a common ground and deliver a balanced outcome. I want to clarify that this text is not final. Based on the inputs from the parties, there would be elements in the final text which are not there in the draft,” he said and added that decisions taken in Baku will be essential to guide us from the first to the second decade of the Paris Agreement.  Continued on P9 exit poll conducted by Peoples Pulse gave Mahayuti 175-195 seats; it showed that MVA will secure only 85-112 seats and 7-12 to others in Maharashtra. In the MVA alliance, the Congress has contested in 101 seats, Uddhav Thackarey’s Shiv Sena (UBT) 95 and Sharad Pawar’s NCP 86 seats. The high-pitched campaign in the state has seen the opposition and the ruling BJP locking horns over the latter’s slogans batenge to katenge and ek hai toh safe hai on religious lines. While the ruling Mahayuti centred its campaign around its flagship schemes for women, the MVA focused Polls 2024 on the government’s failure to address farmer’s distress, inflation, and reservation among others. In Jharkhand, Matrize predicted 42-47 seats for the NDA and 25-30 seats for the CongressJMM alliance. It gave 0-4 seats to others. Axis MyIndia and Electoral Edge predicted victory for the INDIA bloc. Dainik Bhaskar and P Marq have predicted a hung House. Jharkhand has seen highly polarised election campaigns with the BJP attacking the Hemant Soren government for the alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Brisk polling in Jharkhand, Maharashtra E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ Mumbai/Ranchi First-time voters after casting votes at a polling station in Nagpur on Wednesday | PTI Maharashtra seats 288, target 145 Source Chanakya Strategies Dainik Bhaskar Electoral Edge Lokshahi Marathi-Rudra Matrize P-Marq Peoples Pulse Poll Diary Times Now-JVC Poll of exit polls NDA 152-160 125-140 118 128-142 150-170 137-157 175-195 122-186 150-167 150 MVA 130-138 135-150 150 125-140 110-130 126-146 85-112 69-121 107-125 125 Jharkhand seats 81, target 41 Source Axis My India Chanakya Strategies Dainik Bhaskar Electoral Edge Matrize P-Marq Peoples Pulse Times Now-JVC Poll of exit polls NDA 17-27 45-50 37-40 32 42-47 31-40 44-53 40-44 39 INDIA 49-59 35-38 36-39 42 25-30 37-47 25-37 30-40 38 OTH 6-8 20-25 20 18-23 8-10 2-8 7-12 10-27 13-14 13 OTH 1-6 3-5 0-2 7 1-4 1-6 5-9 1-1 4 65% Voter turnout in Maharashtra as per latest available data. Only 52.07% voted in Mumbai 68% Jharkhand voter turnout better than that in 2019. Maoist threat didn’t deter voters 1,185 Polling booths in high-rises in Maharashtra, but not many urban voters turned up THE high-voltage campaign in Maharashtra seemed to have enthused more voters to come out and exercise their franchise as the data released late in the night showed 64.72% turnout against 61.74% recorded in the 2019 Assembly elections. Jharkhand witnessed even higher polling at 68%, surpassing 67.04% polled last time. Voting was largely peaceful in both states. In Maharashtra, the highest polling was recorded in Gadchiroli at 73.68% while Jharkhand’s Jamtara district topped the charts with 76.16% turnout. The turnout was slightly better in urban centres in Maharashtra compared to previous polls, but it remained much lower than the state average. In Jharkhand, Bokaro district recorded the lowest polling at 60.97%, data showed. All 288 seats in Maharashtra went to polls on Wednesday in a single phase. Jharkhand voted for 38 seats in the second and final phase. The first phase of polling in Jharkhand was held on November 13 for 43 seats, registering 64.86% turnout. No major incidents were reported from either state and Maoists had no impact. In Jharkhand, the Left-wing extremists were reduced to sticking posters as security forces were deployed in P8 full strength. Cabinet ‘nod’ to Amaravati fresh tenders E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The State Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat on Wednesday is learnt to have ap, proved the proposals submitted by the technical committee to invite fresh tenders for the Amaravati Capital City development works. The Cabinet is believed to have given its nod to mobilise advances to contractors for taking up the development works. As the Assembly is in session, the decisions taken by the Cabinet were not disclosed by government. According to sources, the Cabinet has also discussed setting up of the Andhra Pradesh High Court Bench in Kurnool. In fact, the previous YSRC government proposed to establish the AP High Court in Kurnool as part of its three capital plan for decentralised development. However, the TDP-led NDA government, which is committed to Amaravati as the one and only capital of AP has made it clear , that the High Court will remain in Amaravati itself, and it will take steps for setting up of HC Bench in Kurnool.    Besides approving the `85,000 investment proposals of 10 firms cleared by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB), the Council of Ministers is said to have given its nod for the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy and to provide industry status to the tourism sector. It is also learnt that the Cabinet also approved the proposal to amend the bill to reduce the time for moving a no-confidence motion against the chairpersons of local bodies from the existing four years to twoP4 and-a-half-years.  Naidu will be CM for another 10 years for AP’s growth: Pawan S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Hailing the able leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan has said the TDP supremo will continue as the CM for another 10 years. Highlighting the achievements of the TDP-led NDA government in the State Assembly on Wednesday, Pawan Kalyan exuded confidence that Andhra Pradesh will emerge as a $1 trillion economy in the coming five years. Accusing the previous YSRC regime of ruining the State, Pawan Kalyan said the administration of experienced leaders like Naidu is needed to overcome the devastation. “I have full faith in the leadership of Naidu, and I strongly feel that he should continue as the CM for another 10 years with the same spirit,” the Deputy Chief Minister said. In the wake of strife between the cadres of TDP and JSP at some places, Pawan Kalyan’s statement has cleared the air that he is not in the race for the field visits CM to mingle with people at grassroots E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada As part of his Swarnandhra Vision 2047, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has decided to make field visits, and interact with people directly to get their feedback on various development programmes and welfare schemes and their views for the rapid economic growth of the State. Speaking in the AP Legislative Assembly on Wednesday , Naidu highlighted the development initiatives of his government in the first 150 days. Accusing the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government of destroying the State beyond imagination, Naidu said his focus is on rebuilding Andhra Pradesh. “Wonders will not happen overnight. Our government is rebuilding the State brick-bybrick. The derailed systems have been brought back on track,” he said. Laying emphasis on welfare and development, the Chief Minister asserted that the TDP-led NDA government has been functioning with the sole aim of improving the living standards of people. The NDA government is committed to implementing the Super Six schemes as promised in its elecP4 tion manifesto, Naidu said.  Anmol Bishnoi seeks asylum in US M U K E SH RA N J A N a n d H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ New Delhi/Chandigarh adios, rafa Spanish tennis legend and 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal bid adieu to the sport as he lost in the singles tie against Netherlands in the Davis Cup | afp | P11 In what was seen as a ploy to block his deportation, Anmol Bishnoi, brother of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has applied for political asylum in the US following his arrest by immigration officers there last week. He was detained in California for entering the country using fake papers — based on information shared by India — and subsequently arrested. Anmol is currently in Iowa’s Pottawattamie County Jail. However, chances are he could have intentionally of- fered himself for detention by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of his strategy to seek asylum, sources said. For, the US legal system is inclined to grant bail in such cases, like it did to another gangster Goldie Brar, sources added. The Mumbai Police has already begun efforts to get Anmol extradited in connection with multiple cases, including the murder of NCP’s Baba Siddique. However, if the case takes a different trajectory, Anmol could first be handed over to the Canadian authorities in connection with the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He is facing more than 32 criminal cases against him in India on charges of abduction, extortion and murder. Of them, at least 20 are registered in Rajasthan. He also managed Lawrence’s extortion cartel and invested the gang’s money in businesses outside India. An official in the Punjab Police said Anmol is the key operator of Lawrance’s global crime syndicate. He worked behind the scenes to manage the businesses and activities of the gang. legend’s visit Lionel Messi’s Argentina to play in Kerala next year E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram It’s been 13 years to date since Lionel Messi mesmerised Indian crowds at the historic and football crazy city of Kolkata. Next year, Kerala, the other football-obsessed part of the country would be watching the living legend dribble and shimmy past opponents wearing an Argentina jersey. The revered team is all set to play a couple of friendlies in Kerala. This was confirmed by Sports Minister V Abdurahiman on Wednesday He said that the Ar. gentine Football Association (AFA) will make an announcement after a delegation visits the state within two months. The opponents and schedule will be announced later. Kochi is being considered as the primary venue, said the minister during a press briefing in Thiruvananthapuram. “The official announcement will be made by a team comprising Kerala and Argentina officials when the AFA delegation visits. FIFA officials will be visiting Kochi to inspect the venue and the security aspects,” Abdurahiman said. Messi last played in India in 2011, when Argentina and Venezuela played an international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Calling it a dream come true, Keral Chief Minister Pinarayi Vi- CM post, and Naidu will continue to be at the helm of affairs for a decade. “Sir (Naidu), you give us (MLAs) directions time-to-time. It is our duty to discharge our responsibilities efficiently in our respective departments as per your vision,” he said. Mentioning that the NDA government inherited damaged roads, ganja menace, looting of land and natural resources, powerless panchayats, attacks on temples, the Deputy Chief Minister said he felt so happy when Naidu highlighted the achievements of the coalition in the last 162 days. Though the previous government jailed him, Naidu stood strong, the JSP chief said. jayan attributed the development to the state government’s consistent efforts. “This is something many believed to be impossible, but we have made it a reality for Kerala’s sports lovers. This will be a proud moment for Kerala as our name will resonate on the global sports map,” the chief minister wrote in his Facebook post. express read House panel to probe anomalies in Vizag dairy Vijayawada: Assembly Speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu on Wednesday announced a House Committee to probe large scale irregularities in Visakha Dairy. Vizag MLAs alleged that the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Directors of Visakha Dairy, who belong to one family, were misusing the funds of the dairy by setting up a trust | P4 India women win Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir (Bihar): Deepika continued her good form to ensure India women defended their Asian Champions Trophy hockey title, beating Olympic silver medallist China 1-0 in the summit clash. Deepika scored the winner for India from a penalty corner in the 31st minute to finish as the event’s highest goal-getter. CBSE Class 10, 12 exams to begin from Feb 15 New Delhi: The board exams for Class 10 and 12 will begin from February 15, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced on Wednesday. In a late night notification, the board announced that the Class 10 exams will conclude on March 18 while Class 12 exams will end on April 4, 2025